New Kent Charles City Chronicle

News for New Kent County and Charles City County, Virginia | March 29, 2024

Letter to the Editor: Age isn’t a deterring factor in doing my part for society

By Community Member | October 19, 2021 4:17 pm

My previous “Letter to the Editor” was quite glum. An upbeat message is better.

I tend to be a cop-out, giving reasons for my inability to do things that need to be doing. I stew in my own juice, feeling sorry for myself and being a chronic defeatist. Why don’t I heed the famous phrase “Don’t tell me what you can’t do; tell me what you can do.”

I am truly blessed to have a fair share of capability despite being an old codger. Decrepitude has not wiped me out, only limited me. To maximize my last years, I’ve composed a plan for the rest of my life. This blueprint challenges me to focus on good stuff in broad behavior categories. These categories are body and intellect, communication, helping my significant other, emotional health, and outreach.

The outreach part of my plan includes more than I alone could ever pull off but is something to keep working on with others. A happy item in my reaching out is hospitality. I am enthusiastic when welcoming relationships with relatives, neighbors, fellow citizens, and even strangers on occasion, then striving to delight them via love and caring. Can I do this while hyping the New Kent Welcome Center, Wahrani Nature Trail, Pine Fork Park, historical attractions and new home developers to out-of-towners visiting New Kent?

The roadmap to the rest of my life is dealing with world matters, not eternal destiny nor any yen for piles of money or wealth.

Neal Wallace
Quinton